BALIKPAPAN – Starting out at a campus that was still developing and faced various limitations, Muadz Akmal Yusuf found one of the most valuable foundations for entering the professional world: adaptability, leadership, and resilience. The 2016 alumnus of the Materials and Metallurgical Engineering Study Program at Institut Teknologi Kalimantan (ITK), familiarly known as Kemal, is now building his career as a Quality Section Head at Michelin Indonesia.

In his current role, Kemal is responsible for ensuring that the tires delivered to customers meet the company’s high-quality standards. His work requires strong attention to detail, sound decision-making, and a continuous commitment to improvement.

Kemal’s professional journey is closely connected to the experiences he gained during his time as an ITK student. One of the most memorable moments of his university years was when he served as Chairman of the Materials and Metallurgical Engineering Student Association (HIMA TMM) at ITK.

Through organizational activities, Kemal began learning the fundamentals of people development, leading individuals with different characteristics, and making rational decisions when facing challenges.

“That was when I learned the basics of people development and also learned how to think rationally,” Kemal said.

Interestingly, Kemal sees the limitations ITK faced during its early years as an important part of his personal development. At the time, campus facilities were still limited, and student activities had to be carried out with relatively modest resources. However, those conditions did not make him or his fellow students give up.

Instead, he believes those circumstances trained them to become more creative, adaptable, and capable of finding solutions despite limitations.

“Back then, the campus only had two buildings and there were many limitations, but we chose not to give up because of them. That experience truly became an important mental foundation for entering the professional world,” he explained.

His academic background and organizational experience later supported Kemal in achieving one of the proudest milestones of his career. He successfully earned the MDP Depth 9 qualification, a level within Michelin’s Continuous Improvement framework.

The achievement was particularly significant because Kemal became the first person in the Quality Department to earn the qualification and also the fastest employee in the company to achieve MDP Depth 9.

For Kemal, this milestone is proof that one’s university background does not limit the ability to grow and achieve excellence in a multinational company. He also sees the increasing number of ITK alumni working at multinational companies and other major corporations as a positive development for current students and recent graduates.

“I think today’s active students who want to pursue internships, as well as recent graduates who want to apply for jobs, can feel more confident because many ITK alumni are now working at multinational companies and other major corporations. However, always remember to maintain a good attitude,” he said.

Kemal also reminded students not to focus solely on academic achievements. According to him, academics remain an essential responsibility, but organizational experience plays a major role in developing the skills needed to navigate the professional world.

“Always remember why you decided to pursue higher education. Academics are essential, but do not forget to get involved in organizations, because after graduation, our soft skills will become the bridge that helps us survive in the workplace,” he said.

Kemal’s journey, from being part of one of ITK’s early student cohorts to becoming a Quality Section Head at Michelin Indonesia, reflects how experiences gained during university can shape a person’s readiness to enter the professional world.

For Kemal, ITK may still be growing and developing as an institution, but the quality of its education and the resilience built throughout the learning process have equipped its graduates to compete on a broader stage.

“Although our campus is still developing, the quality of its education can compete with that of larger universities. So, be proud to be part of ITK,” Kemal concluded.

Through this edition of The Ex-Story, Kemal’s journey shows that limitations do not have to become barriers. When faced with a willingness to learn, organizational experience, a positive attitude, and the courage to keep growing, limitations can instead become a strong foundation for reaching greater heights.